Paradoxplace Abbey and Cathedral Photo Page Links
Medieval Illustrations of Labours of the Month, Zodiac Signs, Cardinal Virtues and Sins
Back to Paradoxplace Medieval Christian Church Page Links
The archivolts, door jams, facade reliefs and floors of many Romanesque and Gothic churches contained reliefs, mosaics or medallions which represented either or both of the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the twelve typical activities associated with them. This material is also to be found in misericords, and sometimes there were also other subjects, such as illustrations (reminders ?) of the Cardinal & Christian virtues and sins.
Great examples of the genre are to be found in Burgundy in the Cathédrale St-Lazare, Autun and the Basilique Ste-Madeleine, Vézelay. Chartres Cathedral has a magnificent "Zodiac" stained glass window dating from 1217, plus archivolt sculptures in two of its three portal ensembles, whilst Notre Dame de-Paris has a full array of zodiacs, sins etc in its west rose window and in (mostly replica) sculptures on the door jams of the (west facade) Coronation Portal, and Angers Cathedral has zodiacs in one transept rose window and labours in the facing one.
In Otranto (Puglia) monthly activities and zodiac signs are to be found in the eastern nave section of the mosaics which cover the entire cathedral floor, and there are several other examples in reliefs in northern Italian churches. In Perugia, the monthly labours are portrayed in some of the relief panels ringing the bottom tier of the magnificent Fontana Maggiore outside the Duomo.
Canterbury Cathedral has a well worn set of large round Zodiac, monthly activity, sins, virtues and heraldic beast medallions inset into the east (Trinity Chapel) floor near where the Shrine of Saint Thomas used to be, whilst a bit further south in Kent (at Brooklands in the Romney Marshes) there is a beautiful Norman lead font with reliefs of both zodiac signs and monthly labours (one and two thirds times over).
An arch of the Royal Pantheon in the Basilica of San Isidore in León (Spain) is frescoed with monthly activity roundels, whilst the archivolts of the Doorway of the Lamb have a set of Zodiac signs in bas relief.
Complete listings of all the Zodiac / labours we know about in Britain, Spain, France and Italy are below. Holly Hayes' Sacred Destinations has a well laid out table which brings it all together and some examples from Germany as well as several of those below.
|
The Paradoxplace pages on the Zodiac window at Chartres, the Zodiac Roundels at Autun, and the Zodiac Font Reliefs at Brooklands have photos and descriptions of all the images of zodiacs and activities, and also the dates of each zodiac period and the four solstices.
|
||
|
|
Brooklands - Church of Saint Augustine
|
Chartres - Cathédrale Notre Dame
|
|
The dates and signs of the Zodiac, and typical labour of the month illustrations There are many variants and interpretations, both in the labours illustrated and in the month in which they occur - that's part of the fun of discovery!
|
||
|
Aquarius – January
January 21 – February 18 Le Verseau (The Water Carrier)
A feast or a man (Janus) with 2 (/3) faces - looking to the old and new years.
|
Pisces – February
February 19 – March 20 Les Poissons (The Fishes)
A man warming his feet in front of a fire.
|
Aries – March
March 21– April 20 (March 21 - Spring Equinox) Le Bélier (The Ram) Pruning vines, digging, etc.
|
|
Taurus – April
April 21 – May 21 Le Taureau (The Bull)
April flowers / the arrival of Spring.
|
Gemini – May
May 22 – June 21 Les Gémeaux (The Twins)
A knight courting, hunting (especially hawking).
|
Cancer – June
June 22– July 22 (June 21 - Summer Solstice) Le Cancer (The Crab) Mowing / cutting hay.
|
|
Leo – July
July 23 – August 23 Le Lion (The Lion)
Scything wheat, sharpening a sickle, etc.
|
Virgo – August
August 24 – September 22 La Vierge (The Virgin)
Threshing grain with a hinged threshing rod.
|
Libra – September
September 23 – October 23 (September 23 - Autumn Equinox) Le Balance (The Scales) Picking / treading grapes.
|
|
Scorpio – October
October 24 – November 22 Le Scorpion (The Scorpion)
Pouring wine into a barrel.
|
Sagittarius – November
November 23 – December 21 Le Sagitaire (The Archer)
Harvesting acorns for winter feed, collecting wood faggots, etc.
|
Capricorn – December
December 22 - January 20 (December 22 - Winter Solstice) La Capricorne (The Sea Goat) Killing pigs. |
Paradoxplace has many photo pages of zodiacs, and there are more photographed and awaiting their turn to be published (see the links below), . This page also lists other places we have not been to (yet), or went to before we became interested in this subject (and therefore now have to go back!)
These pages relate to sculpture, mosaics, misericords and stained glass representations of zodiac signs, monthly activities, virtues and sins. The book by Henisch on the right has an emphasis on medieval books of hours, many of which had beautiful illustrations of monthly labours.
|
colour coding
|
|
|
XXX - Link to Photos in Paradoxplace
|
XXX - Photos in paradoxplace photo-library but not yet published
|
XXX - Link to External Site;
|
XXX - No links or photos at this stage
|
|
roughly north (top) to south
|
|
|
A full set of monthly activity scenes is incorporated into the choir capitals, but only half are visible at all because of the subsequently erected ugly dark choir panelling, and some of the other half that can be seen are pretty obscure!
|
|
|
Scroll down to "South Doorway" section. Looks like the remains of a complete Zodiac / Labours cycle, but not in good nick!
|
|
|
The square stone font has three relief panels on each side depicting labours (and some relaxations) of the months. The font is in outstanding condition, especially considering that it spent several decades in bits in a rockery garden.
|
|
|
A weathered Pisces and Taurus are to be found sculptured on two of the voussoirs circling the St George tympanum over the main north door of the church. Sagittarius has found his way onto an inner voussoir on the north side.
|
|
|
Misericords. Link to more photos from Holly Hayes.
|
|
|
The Norman portal on the west front of this attractive Romanesque parish church has some zodiac signs in the outer archivolt.
|
|
|
Next to where the shrine of St Thomas (Becket) used to be (now called the Trinity Chapel), this elegantly worn set of floor roundels depict months, labours, vices, virtues and a couple of heroes.
Canterbury Cathedral medieval floor medallion - Cancer
|
|
|
St Nicholas, Barfreston (Kent) |
The outer archivolt of the south door of the 1100s church has 14 roundels, mainly depicting monthly activities. Barfreston lies between Canterbury and Dover, a road traversed in ignorance hundreds of times by the Paradox !
|
|
Brookland (Romney Marshes, Kent) - Church of Saint Augustine
|
A rare example in Britain of both Zodiacs and Monthly Activities together (almost twice over) is to be found in the wrap around stamped lead of Saint Augustine's 1100s font (see photo at top of page).
|
|
Link to the Medieval Pilgrimage Roads to Santiago de Compostela
|
|
|
|
Bas relief Zodiac signs on the south facade archivolts of the Doorway of the Lamb:
Bas relief Zodiac signs on the archivolts of the doorway of the lamb, Basilica de San Isidoro, León
Monthly activitiy roundels frescoed on an arch in the pantheon of the Kings of León.
|
|
Santa Maria de Ripoll (Cistercian)
|
Zodiac roundels amongst the capital imagery of the portal |
|
colour coding
|
|
|
XXX - Link to Photos in Paradoxplace
|
XXX - Photos in paradoxplace photo-library but not yet published
|
XXX - Link to External Site;
|
XXX - No links or photos at this stage
|
|
roughly north (top) to south
Link to The Medieval Pilgrimage Roads of France
|
|
|
Amiens Cathedral (Link to some photos)
The photo on the right comes from the book
"L'élan des cathédrales" by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg
|
The lower part of the west portals is faced by a masonry band within which sit two rows of quatrefoil framed bas reliefs. These include representations of Zodiac signs, monthly labours, vices and virtues and ? (a quatrefoil has an outline shape similar to a four leaved clover, a trefoil would be like a three leaf clover, etc). The photo link on the left also has images of the last judgement tympanum.
Leo, Virgo, Libra Scything hay, threshing wheat, picking fruit
|
|
Soissons Cathedral (between Amiens and Reims)
The photo on the right comes from a wonderful book
"The Rose Window" by Painton Cowen
Buy
from Amazon USA
Buy from Amazon UK
|
Zodiac window with panels thought to have come originally from a rose window in Braine Abbey - much of the glass replaced in the late 1800s but no less interesting or beautiful for that.
|
|
Basilique St-Denis (near Paris, the first Gothic "cathedral")
|
On the doors of the western facade, a set of Zodiac signs is on the two north door jams, whilst a matching set of monthly activities is on the south door jams, all dating from the period 1130 - 40.
In the north ambulatory pavement is a mosaic of October's activity - winemaking - the only survivor of what would have been a set of 12 or even 24 dating from the 1100s.
Barrelling wine - Basilique St-Denis, Paris
Most magnificently of all, the south transept rose has a set of zodiac signs in a circle of 12 roundels in mid window, and on the circumference are 24 trefoil panels including monthly activities. In 2007, none of this was visible because of window restoration. Be aware however that the window, like its northern sister, dates from the 1840s, though the designs are traditional and could be a copy of what was there earlier.
|
|
|
West Rose Window. The bottom part of the rose is partially obscured by organ pipes, but it is a full cycle of 12 Zodiacs, 12 monthly activities, 12 vices and 12 virtues ( ? - it's usually 7!) so it's worth having a good look with the binoculars. The window dates from 1220, though a lot of the glass has been replaced.
|
|
Door Jams of the (north) west portal (the Coronation Portal or Portal of the Virgin). Again these date from the 1200s originally, but is is doubtful that many of those there now have been around for that long.
|
|
|
Paris - Basilique St-Germain
|
|
|
Paris - Museums
|
|
|
|
There are the remains of what could be monthly labours on the wall next to the famous smiling angel, and presumably more on the other side of the doorway.
|
|
|
February foot warming capital (1100s), a Sagittarius roundel (1400s) and others. |
|
Vézelay - Basilique Ste-Madeleine - archivolt of the main west door
|
A complete set of sculpted roundels illustrating both Zodiac signs and labours of the month are in the outer archivolt of the main west door. |
|
|
A complete set of sculpted roundels illustrating both Zodiac signs and labours of the month are in the outer archivolt of the main west door, and in these two paradoxplace pages.
The Gemini Twins, May 22 - June 21 - Cathédrale St-Lazare, Autun (Burgundy)
|
|
In the Chapter House, one of Gislebertus' capitals shows Generosity v Greed (Avarice), and Abstinence v Gluttony. |
|
|
|
A few large mosaic roundels have been uncovered in the ambulatory and cleaned. |
|
Avallon - St-Lazare, (North Burgundy)
|
The west portal archivolt of this charismatic old Clunaic Priory church has a weathered set of zodiacs and monthly activities. Although not in very good condition they are more finely sculptured than their cousins at nearby Vézelay and slightly more distant Autun.
The Gemini Twins, May 22 - June 21 - Eglise St-Lazare, Avallon, Burgundy
|
|
Chartres - Notre Dame Cathedral
|
The 1200s "Zodiac Window" in Chartres cathedral shows all the zodiac signs and monthly labours in magic stained glass panels. The paradoxplace pages explain the window and show large photos of the individual frames
Chartres Zodiac Window - Grape treading in September
Links to: Zodiac Window Overview Individual Frames A: Aquarius to Taurus Individual Frames B: Cancer to Capricorn
|
|
The archivolts of the north door of the west portal, and the east door of the north portal, both have sculptured Zodiac and monthly labour cycles (which will appear in Paradoxplace).
|
|
|
|
Signs of the zodiac are displayed in circular stained glass panels at the end of the "spokes" of the upper half of the south rose window, and labours of the months are shown in a similar way in the north rose window. And we spent two hours there and noticed neither of them ...... but nonetheless we do have a photo.
|
|
|
There was at one stage an arch full of painted zodiacs just inside the abbey church's west door. Nowadays most have worn off completely, and even what remains is hardly visible. So, no photos in Paradoxplace, though there are some of the church and its famous frescos (in 2007 mostly hidden for a long term restoration project).
|
|
|
Near the via Turonensis south of Poitiers - a few surviving archivolt figures. |
|
|
On the via Turonensis south of Poitiers - a few surviving archivolt figures. |
|
St-Jean, Bordeaux
|
Archivolt of main facade door has zodiacs and labours of the months. |
|
|
On the via Lemovicensis south of Bergerac - a few surviving archivolt figures on the facade of this grand old lady. |
|
Issoires (South of Clermont-Ferrand)
|
|
|
colour coding
|
|
|
XXX - Link to Photos in Paradoxplace
|
XXX - Photos in paradoxplace photo-library but not yet published
|
XXX - Link to External Site;
|
XXX - No links or photos at this stage
|
|
roughly north (top) to south
Many of the Italian examples of this genre are relief panels showing monthly activities, with an small illustrative Zodiac sign shown in a corner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reliefs in the portal are well protected and in reasonable condition. |
|
Piacenza - San Savino
|
San Savino has two restored polychrome mosaic floors. In the crypt are the signs of the Zodiac and illustrations of monthly labours. The Presbytery floor illustrates the impossibility of holding back the march of time, and the importance of using time to practice the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance and Justice.
|
|
Parma, Baptistery
|
The lower "band" of the Baptistery exterior has a bas-relief zoophorus running completely round it, with figures of real and imaginary animals, diabolical and sea monsters, centaurs, mermaids, unicorns, signs of the zodiac and activities of the month.
|
|
|
|
|
Pisa - Baptistery
|
Monthly activity relief panels on a door jam. |
|
Lucca Duomo |
Panels depicting monthly activities plus small Zodiac signs are on the lower part of the west facade. If you go there, also cast your eyes up to the "knotted" marble columns at each end of the top level of the facade.
|
|
Pretty ordinary circular marble intarsia floor panel in the centre of the church depicting the signs of the Zodiac.
|
|
|
A few (probably obscure) bas-reliefs.
|
|
|
Photos in Gino Casagrande's web page. There are 12 large double panels - two reliefs illustrating monthly activities for each month. Small reliefs of the relevant zodiac sign appear in the corner of the first of each of the double panels.
|
|
|
Rome - SS Quattro Coronati (west facing church) |
Frescos illustrating the 12 months of the year were discovered in 1999 in a room on the north side of the inner courtyard, which was once part of the nave of a much larger Carolingian church.
|
|
Otranto - Mosaic floor of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunciata |
Deep down in the "heel" of Italy, the entire floor of the Cattedrale di Otranto is still covered with the mosaics originally laid in the mid 1100s. The nave area to the west of the crossing is occupied by three rows of four large mosaic roundels - each one illustrating a monthly labour and the relevant Zodiac sign. Their large size has allowed their artists to be more inventive and include more detail than any other set in this list (see below).
Otranto Cattedrale - September grape treading - Virgo the virgin.
|
|
Zodiac "Heliometer" inset into the floor of the transept.
|
|
|
Multiple Zodiac Images engraved on the "four marble column set" beside the fountain in the south west corner of the cloisters
|
|
Links to other Paradoxplace pages
All original material on this site © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08. The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.